How to Dig Up Gladiolus Bulbs

Gladiolus flowers grow in tight clusters along tall spikes, blooming in a range of colors. These tender perennials do not tolerate cold winter temperatures outdoors, so they must be dug up and stored inside for the winter months. The gladiolus plant grows from a structure similar to a bulb, called a "corm." The corm stores nutrients the plant needs for the following year's growth. Corms are dug and stored in fall once the plant has gone dormant for the season.

Trowel
Mesh bag

Instructions

- 1
  Loosen the soil around the gladiolus in fall, after the first frost has killed back the foliage. Slide a trowel under the corms and lift them out of the bed.
- 2
  Rinse the excess soil off the corms. Cut off the foliage to within 1 inch of the top of each corm.
- 3
  Spread the corms out in a warm, well-ventilated area and allow them to dry. Dry the corms for approximately for three weeks.
- 4
  Break off the small corms, called "cormels," which are attached to the larger ones. Cormels larger than 1/2-inch long can bloom when planted the following year. Those smaller than 1/2 inch in length can take up to three years before they bloom.
- 5
  Place the corms inside a mesh bag. Hang the bag in a dark, 35 to 45 degree F room until it is time to plant them in the spring.

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